New Blood Vignettes
by Michael Weyer
Summary: Follow up to New Blood in a New Hope. More adventures of the gang in a galaxy far, far away. 5: Old Sith vs New Sith.
1. Sith Happens

New Blood Vignettes

By Michael Weyer

**I was planning to leap right into _Empire Strikes Back_ but was struck with the ideas of a couple of quick stories that would lead to plot points in _Empire._ It's short, only three chapters but it fits into things. So all comments are welcomed. **

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**Sith Happens**

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Darth Vader stood by the hallway facing one of the large windows that looked out at Coruscant. It was raining, which was rare but did happen. Vader never liked the rain. It always reminded him of that night when he was brought to the clinic following that duel on Mustafar. The drops of rain hitting his scorched flesh, the smoke rising from it, the smell of his own body burning. It still haunted him today and the rain could only remind him of that horrible day.

"So…know any good restaurants around here?"

Vader turned his head to look at the man leaning against the wall. Angelus has a smirk upon his face, his black outfit fitting well with the dark motif of the Imperial Palace. He was absently rubbing at the collar fitted around his neck, careful not to jar it or else be given a massive shock.

Vader fixed his gaze carefully at the other man. "I did not think you ate food."

"I don't," the vampire replied with his smirk fixed. "But they do attract people and that means I've got a buffet going. Been way too hungry lately."

"We have supplied you with a steady source of blood," Vader intoned.

"Yeah but the guys in this galaxy are too thin on some of the minerals," Angelus frowned. "Kind of like low-fat food."

"I can always arrange you to be placed in containment with some alien forms," Vader threatened. "That will give you more food sources."

Angelus snorted. "Sorry. I don't know what alien blood tastes like or what it can do to me. I'm not up for finding out, either. Nah, I'll stick to the humans." He brushed at his clothes. "At least you could have found me some smokes."

"Not in the presence of the Emperor," Vader intoned.

Angelus paced before the window. "How come we're waiting so long? Thought you were the big cheese around here."

"The Emperor has many responsibilities and duties," Vader stated. "He will see us when he is prepared."

Angelus looked down the hallway toward the large doors flanked by a pair of guards in red robes and tall helmets. They stood full at attention, each carrying a long pike, the black visors of their helmets fixed forward. "So, how's this boss of yours?"

Vader glared behind his helmet. "He is the Emperor of this galaxy and Lord of the Sith. You will show respect, creature, or I shall tear you apart myself."

"Promises, promises," Angelus said. The man seemed to show no fear of any of the threats Vader made and he was torn between annoyance and being impressed by his backbone. "I don't know about this whole Sith mentality and powers. I'm more a hands-on kinda guy."

"The Emperor shall make that decision," Vader said. "You shall abide by it."

Angelus shrugged, looking out the window at the wide cityscape that covered the planet's surface. After exactly ten seconds, he turned and started off. "Screw this, I hate waiting." He marched down the hallway toward the two waiting guards.

They raised their pikes but Angelus moved in a blur, smashing one's visor in as he grabbed the pike and stabbed it into the chest of the other one. The man gasped in pain as he sunk to his knees. Angelus snapped the pike and spun around, jamming the broken end into the visor of the other man.

He backed up, brushing off his hands and headed to the double doors. Vader let out a sigh over his usual breathing as he marched up the hallway. He shook his head slightly at the two dead guards, catching the eye of an officer who was staring at the scene in shock. "See to them." He then entered the room.

The throne room of the Emperor was a vast chamber with various catwalks and pieces of artwork lining the walls. At the far end, a set of stairs led to the platform where a throne faced away, gazing out at the view of the cityscape.

Angelus was looking about as he walked on, ignoring the red-robed guards on alert around him. He stopped at the bottom of the steps, arms crossed as he looked upward.

There was a long silence before the figure on the throne spoke. "My personal guards are the best the Empire has to offer," came the graveled voice. "Their lives are not to be wasted as you have just done."

"Then you shouldn't have kept me waiting," Angelus snapped. "I'm not the kind of guy who cools my heels while you do..whatever it is you do."

"What I do….is to keep this galaxy in order."

Angelus sniffed. "Order…that is so overrated. Give me some great chaos any day of the week." He glanced behind him as Vader came up, the armored figure bowing deeply as the throne slowly turned around.

No matter how many times they met, Vader was still struck by Emperor Palpatine's face. The scarring he'd suffered twenty years earlier was enhanced by age so his face resembled a skull more than a person. He was dressed in completely black robes as he stared down at the vampire with his dark yellow eyes. "Hmmm…Interesting."

Angelus tried to kill the tiny twinge of nervousness at how he was being studied. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

"No remorse…no guilt…no touch of light within you…" The Emperor smiled at Vader. "You were right, Lord Vader. The Dark Side is great within this man."

Angelus rolled his eyes. "If you're going to give me that big speech on this 'Force' shit, I'm just going to leave. I'm only going around with Doc Doom here because I got no other transport." He rubbed the collar. "That and his lovely choice of fashion."

The Emperor tapped his wrinkled fingers against an armchair. "Lord Vader told me that you are not human…and not of any alien race we know of. You do, however, have some strength and…other abilities that can be most beneficial to me."

Angel brushed at his coat. "I'm really not the kind of guy who answers to anyone here, old man. I follow the beat of my own drum…or person's skull, whichever it may be."

The Emperor raised an eyebrow. "You…do not fear me?"

Angel actually threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, please! The Master didn't intimidate me, how the hell can some wannabe in a robe do it?"

Palpatine slowly nodded and then extended a wrinkled hand. A blast of lightning ripped out and struck Angelus dead in the chest. The vampire howled in pain as he was sent stumbling back. The Emperor yanked with his hand and Angelus was pulled forward toward him, smashing face first into the hard tile. The vampire hissed, his clothes smoking as the Emperor sat back.

"You have fire, Angelus," the old man crackled. "But you must learn respect. You must learn fear. Only by learning that can you become one with the Dark Side."

Angelus brought himself up, his vampire features forming as he glared at Palpatine. "I already know this 'dark side' pal." He lunged forward as fast as he could, a blur that would allow him to snap the old man's neck in an instant.

There was a blur before him and suddenly, the Emperor was behind him, the red blade of a lightsaber stabbing forward. Angelus yelled as he felt the blade pierce his side and go through. He hissed as he was pushed to his knees, the saber pulled out and then held by his neck.

Vader simply watched, feeling a bit of satisfaction at seeing this insufferable being finally taught some respect. Palpatine gazed down at the vampire with an evil glare. "You will learn to fear me, Angelus. You will learn the ways of the Dark Side. You will learn that there is no pain where strength lies."

Angelus spat at him, murder in his eye but Palpatine simply smiled. "Tell me, Lord Vader," he called out. "What is your opinon on this man?"

"He is no man, my master," Vader intoned as he stepped forward. "He is a simple murderous creature. He has the dark side within him but no patience, no tact, no restraint. He will simply kill for no reason to satisfy his own bloodlust." He waved a glove at the prone Angelus. "He does not care for the Sith ways. He only cares for death."

"Yes…" Palpatine nodded. "Yes, he does….And yet…and yet, there is potential. Potential to become something far more. Something that can be a great aid to us."

He backed up, the lightsaber switching off as he gazed down at Angelus. "Your choice is clear, creature," he gravely announced. "You may die here and now, at my hand. Or…You may allow me to begin your teaching in the Sith ways. Teachings that can allow you to reach power far greater than you can imagine."

Angelus thought quickly. The concept of bowing and scraping to this geezer was distasteful to say the least. However, he realized his options at the moment were low to say the least. This way, maybe, he'd have a chance to get out of this mess somehow.

Plus, he had to admit that the idea of getting his hands on the sort of power was really tempting. Power like that would be just the thing to show off when he finally met up with a certain Slayer. "Fine," he said, letting his features return to normal. "I'm in."

Palpatine smiled. "Good….goooood…" He backed up, his lips curled back in a twisted grin. "Your training shall begin tomorrow. You shall enter a new life and become a new person. Henceforth, you shall be known as…" He paused and Angelus rolled his eyes. _And they call me a drama queen._

"Darth…_Scourge."_

_On second thought, maybe I like him. _Angelus managed a smile as he slowly nodded up at the Emperor.

The Emperor turned to Vader. "Lord Vader…find him quarters and prepare him for the trials." He turned to sit back on his throne. It slowly turned away as he faced the cityscape once more.

Angelus brushed at his scorched clothing as he headed toward Vader. "So, Darth," he said, punching the other man in the shoulder. "Who do I have to kill to get some new threads around here?"

Vader glared under his mask. He did his best to stifle his feelings in such close proximity to his master. But he could not escape the thought that letting this…Scourge into the higher reaches of the Empire was going to become a very, very bad mistake.

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**All comments welcomed. Hope to have more soon.**


	2. A Simple Defect

New Blood Vignettes

By Michael Weyer

A Simple Defect

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"They really need to spruce this place up," Buffy announced as she found a seat in the briefing room. "Nothing fancy but a new coat of paint could help, maybe some better seats…"

"I'll see if our budget allows it," Leia remarked. The Princess was clad in a more professional outfit than usual with a darker robe, her hair in a looser bun than normal but still regal. "After the ship repairs and transports and food and supplies and------"

"I get it, I get it," Buffy said with a wave. She sat back, clad in the normal tan flight suit of an off-duty Rebel pilot. Luke Skywalker was sitting next to her in a similar outfit with several other pilots with them. "Just a suggestion, is all."

The current Rebel base was a bit similar to Yavin IV, which they'd had to evacuate quickly following the destruction of the Death Star. It was located in another jungle planet whose name Buffy had given up trying to pronounce, a set of temples long abandoned. It made an ideal base with its climate and remote location, although everyone knew it was a temporary one.

Luke smiled at her. "From what I've heard of the base they're setting up for us, this is going to be the height of luxury."

Before Buffy could reply, a figure stepped onto the podium and the buzz of conversation died down. Mon Mothma was a tall and regal looking woman, serious to the core and bore the mantle of leadership like it was handed to her from above. Her short red hair framed her face, which had once been quite beautiful but was marked not only by age but the stress of leadership.

From what Buffy had heard, Mothma had been a high-ranking Senator in the last days of the Old Republic, one of the few who'd spoken against Palpatine's rise to power. When the Empire was formed, Mothma had spent some time toeing the party line while secretly organizing the Rebel Alliance. With the Senate dissolved, she no longer had need to hide her true allegiances and was known as a tough as nails leader, even cold but was respected for her wisdom and skill.

She gazed at the pilots before speaking in a crisp and educated tone. "I wish to begin by stating that the preliminary construction of our base in Hoth has been completed. We shall be moving the first tech crews and personnel there shortly. I am aware there are some of you who are not eager to travel to such a cold climate but it is a well hidden base of operations."

She moved to a console. "Now to our task today. As some of you may be aware, we have been getting a groundswell of support from within the Imperial ranks as more and more are becoming aware of the breadth of the Empire's evil. Naturally, we are cautious whenever new information comes forth. But recently, we received a series of messages that let us make strikes at key Imperial bases. One such strike last month destroyed their efforts to create a new set of battle suits that would have caused much havoc."

She pressed a button on the console. "Yesterday, we received this communiqué, sent in the same frequency as those earlier tips." The holographic projector switched on and showed the image of a man in a grey Imperial uniform. He was fully-built with graying hair and a beard and deep eyes.

"Rebel Alliance," he said in a crisp tone. "I am General Crix Madine. I see you have managed to use the information I gave you as I hoped you would. I had hoped to continue to funnel more information from within the ranks but I fear the Imperial security sectors are getting too close to me. So, I wish to formally defect to the Alliance. I'm sending a set of coordinates and a date. I'll be bringing as much information as I can to help you out. Thank you."

The transmission winked out as a murmur went through the gathered pilots. Mothma turned to face them. "I know there are concerns this may be a trap of some sort," she announced. "But we have taken some measures with a spy of our own. The word is that he is being truthful. Rogue Squadron is to be sent out at once to the rendezvous. You will oversee Madine's transfer to a shuttle and if needed, protect him from Imperial forces."

"What about helping Madine on the ground?" Buffy spoke up. "We'll need a small squad just in case he runs into trouble."

"Indeed," Mothma agreed. "I think in these circumstances, only a couple of people may do."

Buffy watched her gaze and slowly leaned in to Luke. "Too much to hope that Han, Chewie and Xander just walked in behind us, isn't it?"

Luke nodded. "Yep. It's us."

Buffy shook her head. "Great…just great. A completely new galaxy and I still can't escape the curse of opening my big mouth."

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Corellia's place among the galaxy was somewhat up in the air at the moment. While formally belonging to the Empire, they did have a history of aiding the Rebellion. However, they officially pledged neutrality in the war and as they were a powerful force in the financial arena, the Empire was satisfied to let that stay. There was also the fact that Corellians had an aptitude for flying that was simply amazing. Thus, the Empire knew having them formally turn to the Rebellion would shift the fate of fighter combat. So they were willing to not press too hard.

The planet was mostly farmlands and plains with large hills and oceans. Coronet, the capitol, seemed to rise out of the plains to dominate the area near one ocean. The city was a usually bustling place, which made it the ideal location for a secret defection.

Crix Madine stood in the small office in the dark spire resting amidst the center of the city. He gazed out at the cityscape and let out a sigh. He was dressed in a simple gray shirt, tunic and pants with black boots. He felt a little odd without his usual uniform. But then, that was probably a good thing.

The door to the office opened and Madine swung his head around, instantly alert. He relaxed as he saw the young red-haired woman dressed in red robes step in. "Oh, it's you."

"Nice to feel welcomed," Willow Rosenburg said as she shut the door. She glanced around and whispered something under her breath. After a pause, she nodded. "All right, we're clear."

Madine shook his head. "Just what is that? I didn't think the Rebellion was advanced enough to find such means to jam any surveillance devices."

"Sorry, classified," Willow said with a smile. She glanced at the chronometer on her wrist. "The ships should be here soon, the shuttle will be right after them."

Madine nodded as he moved some data pads from the desk to a waiting satchel. "Good. We'd better be fast. The 101st is here."

Willow was thrown. "Really? I've heard they're the best Imperial squad out there."

"They are," Madine confirmed. "Especially Kasen Moore. She's a crack ace you don't want to be facing against."

"What are they doing here?" Willow asked.

"They claim it's just a regular exercise," Madine sardonically stated. "In truth, I think they suspect what I'm up to and are here to stop it."

Willow bit her lip. "We'll have to be careful." She looked at Madine for a moment before speaking. "Why are you doing this?"

Madine paused before glancing up at her. "You're from Alderaan, aren't you?"

"Not originally," Willow answered. "But I did spend the better part of a year there."

Madine tapped his knuckles on the table. "You must think we're all monsters. All of us who join the Empire and serve it. You think we all have to agree with what the Emperor and Vader do and take pleasure in causing such bloodshed."

Willow didn't answer with words but just stared at him. Madine coughed before continuing. "I was young when the Clone Wars ended. I believed in Palpatine. We all did. You don't know what it was like, all that bloodshed, that horror. We needed someone to believe in and he seemed to be fighting for all of us. We went along with anything he said, including ending the Republic. I believed in fighting for the Empire, for my home, for what I believed was the order of the galaxy."

He shook his head. "I knew we were turning to a dark way a while ago. I heard the rumors of massacres of innocent and unarmed civilians, the aliens locked away or wiped out. I shrugged them off. I thought it was just a few bad harlans in the barrel."

"So what changed?" Willow asked.

"Alderaan," Madine answered. "The story is they had a Rebel cell on the planet, refused to turn it over and thus had to be destroyed. But even that was enough to shake a few people in the ranks. Then I heard the rumors that it was just a test…billions of people, an entire planet, wiped out just to test a weapon." He brushed a hand through his beard. "I finally woke up and realized the Empire I pledged my life to had turned into a nightmare. That the killers weren't the exception, they were the rule. And our revered leader is a complete madman."

Willow just gazed at him. She didn't need any magical test to see he meant every word of this. "So…it's changed things?"

"I'd like to think so," Madine said. "The Empire is cracking down more, showing its true colors. Oh there are still a lot who believe in it. But I think, deep down, a lot of them are good people who just need the chance to make things right. It's why I'm doing this."

Willow smiled. "Thank you. This will be a help."

Madine nodded as he hefted his pack. "Any word on when the shuttle is coming?"

Willow checked a pad on her wrist. "Rogue Squadron is coming in now and…" She frowned as a flashing light came on the edge. "Oh, hell," she muttered.

Madine was alert. "Problems?"

Willow just bit her lip and nodded grimly. Madine sighed as he pulled out a personal blaster. "Looks like I've got one more use for this thing."

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"Rogue Squadron, this is Rogue Leader," Luke announced. "We're coming in on the main building. Let the shuttle know that they can start approach."

_"Roger, Luke," _the voice of Wedge Antilles came over the speaker. _"We'll keep an eye out for any problems."_

"Copy. Luke out." Luke shut the speaker off and piloted the speeder in. The Incon T-47 airspeeder wasn't as famous as the X-Wing or Y-Wing fighters. However, it did fit for this mission. The wedge-shaped craft had its wings shifting a bit downward to catch air pockets easier. A pair of cannons were set on either side while the large cockpit gave a wide view of the area before them.

Behind Luke, facing the ion engines of the craft, Buffy sat, checking her readouts and steadying the gun before her. Normally a simple magnetic harpoon gun, this had a special secondary blaster set in to aid in battle. She checked her own scanner as the speeder began to lower to the ground. "I'm not detecting any Imperial signatures nearby."

Luke nodded as he brought the speeder to a landing position. The skid-like legs allowed it to cast for a bit on the smooth grass by the building before finally coming to a stop. The hatchway popped open and Luke and Buffy stepped out, pulling off their helmets. "Willow should be in the building just two blocks over," Buffy said as she unzipped her orange suit, revealing the darker outfit underneath.

Luke was about to answer when the speaker on the craft broke into noise. _"Rogue Leader, come in!" _Wedge called out.

Luke leaned in and clicked the speaker on. "Rogue Leader here. What's the situation, Rogue Two?"

_"We just came across a squad of probe droids at the outskirts of the city!"_ Wedge answered. _"We destroyed them but the cruiser just told us they're picking up a TIE bomber squad coming in fast!"_

"Damn," Luke muttered. "All right, keep an eye out and give us cover if those bombers get here."

_"Roger. The shuttle is coming in but it'll be a few minutes."_

"Copy. Rogue Leader out." Luke shook his head as he started to take off his own flight suit. "Looks like our timetable is rushed."

"Ah, I do my best work when pushed hard and fast." Buffy took two steps before stopping. "Okay…that didn't come out quite right."

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Willow was pacing the room as Madine tapped a few keys into a datapad. "Are you done?" she hissed.

"Just about," he answered. "I only need to erase a few more files so they won't be able to rebuild anytime soon."

Willow glanced out the window in time to see a dark shape fly by with a familiar screaming sound. "Oh, hell," she whispered just before the first rumble rocked the building. Madine was instantly alert as well another bomber flew by to drop its barrage by the building.

"That's it, we have to move!" Willow yelled as she ran to the door. Madine completed one last deletion before grabbing the pad and his bag and following her out. They quickly raced down the hallway, heading to the nearest elevator. As they came up to it, the doors opened and Willow could see the familiar white armor of stormtroopers.

Madine grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to a nearby hallway. "We'll have to go around," he hissed.

Willow was tempted to stay and attempt a spell but the elder man was stronger than his age showed as he pulled her away. She decided to let him take her for now, hoping this wouldn't be as hard a job as it seemed.

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"All right, Rogues," Wedge called out as he led the squad of speeders across a hill. "Scatter as many of them as you can. Keep them away from the main building and the key population centers! Try not to shoot any of them down over the city itself!"

He banked his speeder to the side as he locked onto a TIE. They were a mix of bombers with a few regular TIEs keeping watch over them. Wedge fired a burst at one bomber as it swept toward the main building. It tried to bank out of the way but the larger shape didn't give it the maneuverability a regular TIE did. The cannon fire of the speeder caught it at the right wing and it spiraled before smashing into a smaller building.

"Mon Mothma won't like the damage to civilians," Jansen, Wedge's co-pilot, called out from his place at the rear.

"I don't see her flying one of these things," Wedge snapped as he kept up the battle. "Just keep it up, Rogues!" He led the attack as the skies of the city turned to a battlefield.

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Willow yelped as a blaster bolt ripped over her head. She and Madine had been attempting to reach another elevator when a stormtrooper squad came after them. The defector whirled around to fire a series of blasts from his pistol that took two troopers down. He and Willow kept running, trying to get to the stairway. The building would rock now and then from a bombing but the speeders were keeping the TIEs more at bay.

Willow pushed Madine toward an alcove. "Stay back!" she yelled as she brought her hands together. She whispered under her breath and a small ball of fire ignited between her palms. Sweeping her hands forward, she fired the ball out at the troopers. It hit the floor before them, causing a wall of flame to spring up. One yelled as his legging caught on fire and he moved to try and put it out.

Taking advantage of their distraction, Willow quickly backed away. Madine was staring at her with wonder as she joined him. "What was that?" he asked.

"Just a special gift," Willow said with a shrug. "Come on, let's get to the rooftop. Maybe we can hold out until the shuttle arrives."

Madine nodded, taking the lead again as they moved to the stairway. "We should be able to access it from here," he was saying. "Hopefully, we can block it off and-----"

They turned the corner and stopped as they saw a quintet of troopers standing before them, guns raised. Their commander was in a regular uniform, glaring at Madine with disgust. "Crix Madine," he stated in a cool voice. "You are under arrest for treason. Surrender or we shall be-----"

"Save it," Madine snapped. "I've been at enough 'interrogation centers' to know how this is going to end up."

The commander shrugged. "Very well, then." He pulled out his sidearm. "All right, men, commence------"

There was a feminine yell and suddenly a small blonde-haired figure came from nowhere to slam a boot into the man's face. He fell back onto a trooper as Buffy swung a kick into another man's helmet.

The rest of the stormtroopers were startled but ready to attack when Luke leapt into the hallway, his lightsaber ignited and swinging outward. One trooper yelled as he was cut down by the gleaming blade. Another two tried to fire but Buffy leapt, deflecting the bolts with her saber as she flipped over them. She slashed one across the back to send him down before whirling to launch a savage kick that sent the other one down.

The officer was trying to get back to his feet but Madine's fist smashed into his jaw to knock him out. He looked up at Buffy and Luke and nodded. "Thank you."

"No problem," Buffy said as she switched her saber off. "Come on, the shuttle should be coming in now."

Willow shook her head. "How'd you two get up here so fast?"

"Remember the elevator shaft scene in the _Matrix?"_

"Ah."

Madine frowned at Luke, who just shrugged. "Don't ask, it's a safer course of action." They quickly ran toward the stairwell.

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Wedge banked away as his target was turned into a fireball. He could see a large craft move in and spoke into his communicator. "The shuttle's coming in! We need an escort there."

"_It's a heavy fire zone, boss!_" A speeder pilot called out. _"We've got four ties coming in at it!"_

"Well, try to------"

_"Easy, Antilles," _a rugged voice cut in. _"We've got it covered."_

A large grey shape flew right over the speeder and swept over the buildings of the city. Wedge started as he recognized the _Millennium Falcon,_ the smuggling ship opening fire at some TIEs. "What are you guys doing here?"

_"It's my home planet,"_ Han Solo answered. _"We figured we'd drop in and give you boys a hand. You keep those other TIEs back. We'll watch out for the shuttle."_

"Roger," Wedge laughed. "All right, Rogues, you heard the man!" He and his wingman moved to take on a trio of TIEs at the city limits while the smuggling ship roared toward the shuttle.

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"Guess now wouldn't be a good time to mention I'm not crazy about heights?" Buffy remarked as the four made their way to the roof of the building. Willow held her hand over the doorknob and whispered to herself. It glowed and the doorway sealed itself shut. The others were busy looking at the skies over the city.

"Here it comes!" Luke called out as he pointed at the bulky gray shuttle coming toward them. It was slower than the Imperial ones but more heavily armored, useful as a TIE fighter came strafing toward it.

Buffy and Willow were surprised to see the _Falcon_ nearby, blasting one TIE to pieces while chasing another. However, a bomber managed to break through and moved to the shuttle. Its height made it clear it was preparing to drop its load right on the shuttle to destroy it.

A set of green beams fired through the air to tear the bomber apart. The group started as a TIE fighter flew through the wreckage and toward them. It was a different configuration than the usual TIE. Its wings were set flatter to the cockpit and each ended with a pair of points that made it look like some sort of bat-like creature. "What the hell?" Buffy burst out.

"TIE Interceptor," Madine answered as the ship started to slow and lower itself toward the building. "It's a new experimental model, only a few in production right now."

"Ah," Buffy said. "So blowing apart one of his own guys is a design flaw?"

The Interceptor landed on the building only a few feet away from them. There was a pause as the cockpit's door opened at the top. Madine, Buffy and Luke aimed their blasters as the pilot stepped out.

She was clad in the usual Imperial flight uniform with a bulky black helmet and air tubes attached to her bodysuit. But the suit did little to hide her curvy form. She undid the hoses and pulled the helmet off her head. She shook out her mane of black hair that fell to her shoulders. She was quite attractive and Buffy and Willow were both struck by the slight similarity to Jenny Calendar. She nodded carefully at them. "General," she said in a cultured accent.

"Kasen Moor," Madine said with surprise. "What are you doing?"

"The same thing you are," the woman replied. "I wish to defect to the Rebel Alliance."

Luke raised an eyebrow in obvious disbelief. "One of the best pilots in the Imperial fleet wants to join the Rebels?"

"Yeah, I call no way here too," Buffy agreed. She leaned in. "Give us a reason why we should believe you."

Kasen's expression was tight. "I'm from Alderaan."

There was a long silence between them before Willow spoke up. "She's coming with."

Buffy rolled her eyes at Luke. "Sometimes I really do wish she wasn't so resolved face gal."

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The massive cruiser was the latest addition to the fleet. It came courtesy of the Mon Calamari, an aquatic race who had joined the Alliance in the wake of the Battle of Yavin. Its hull seemed to resemble an underwater creature while its shape wasn't as sharply designed as most ships. But its large hanger bay was more than enough to hold the fleet of speeders, the captured TIE fighter and the _Falcon._

The pilots of Rogue Squadron were gathered together, all gazing with unbridled suspicion at Kasen Moor. The woman stood at attention, quite calm against their gazes as the captain of the ship studied her.

Like all the Mon Calamari, Ackbar was a tall figure with an orange doomed head, clad in a white uniform with a dark vest. His large yellow eyes gazed at Moor as he waved a finny hand. "You realize we must detain you until we reach our contact base," Ackbar said, his voice sounding like a series of gurgles. "We shall have to verify your claims."

Moor nodded. "Understood, Captain. But I assure you, I am sincere in my wish to defect."

"Really," Wedge called out in a harsh voice. "How sincere were you when you shot down three of our guys at Barkesh? Or Chorax? Or------"

"That's enough, Wedge!" Luke snapped.

Moor glanced at the other man. "I don't expect forgiveness, Antilles. This is war and I did my duty. Only now, I realize it's been for the wrong side."

"Real convenient," Wedge sniffed.

"I said, that's enough, Rogue Two," Luke said in a commanding tone.

Ackbar nodded to the guards. "Take her away."

"Um, I'll go with," Willow said. At the looks of surprise, she quickly spoke. "You know, to, um, try and see if she's telling the truth. Ok? Maybe?"

Ackbar nodded. "Very well." As they walked on, he turned to the bearded man. "General Madine. We will be most interested in debriefing you."

Madine nodded. "Of course."

Buffy smiled at Luke as they walked on. "Relax. We got the General, got another defector and didn't lose anyone."

Luke sighed. "Yeah. But it's just one battle. There's still more to do in this war."

Buffy looked down. "Yeah, I know the feeling." She looked up as Han and Chewbacca started to come down from the ramp of the _Falcon_. "Just once, do you think you guys can show up _before_ the nick of time?"

"Lucky we showed up at all, girl," Han retorted. "We were planning on staying on that job longer but…" He looked up with a sour expression. "We ran into problems."

Buffy followed his gaze to see Xander coming down the ramp. Behind him was an exceptionally beautiful and athletic woman dressed in a tight pair of blue pants and a tighter red shirt with a scarf and short jacket. Her long red hair flowed behind her and her green eyes took in Buffy with a cool gaze that made a chill go up her spine.

"New friend?" Luke asked as they joined the group.

"Ah…kinda," Xander said. "Luke Skywalker, Buffy Summers, allow me to introduce you to Mara Jade."

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**This chapter was inspired by a level of the quite excellent Rogue Squadron video game by LucasArts. The character of Kasen Moor appeared there although I'm altering her appearance a bit. As for that last bit…well, that will be the next chapter in which Xander's romantic bad luck hits once more. All comments welcomed. **


	3. Luck Be A Lady

New Blood Vignettes

By Michael Weyer

Luck Be A Lady

The final of my three short stories with the focus on the Zeppo and his less than stellar moves in this galaxy…

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Xander Harris slowly felt himself coming back to full awareness. His mind usually needed a few minutes to get up to speed normally so the alcoholic buzz that had filled it meant even longer. He soon started to realize a few things.

He was lying on his front.

He was naked, judging from the way the sheets of the bed felt on his skin.

And he wasn't alone.

Xander closed his eyes, trying to block out the pain in his head. "Please don't be a guy, please don't be a guy, please don't be a guy," he muttered as he slowly turned his head to the side and opened his eyes.

"Holy crap."

It most certainly was not a guy.

Her cherry red hair billowed around her face, covering the pillow she rested on. Her face was incredibly beautiful and seemingly perfect. The sheet only half covered her, allowing Xander to take in her body, which was a mix of supermodel and athlete that would put even Buffy or Faith to shame.

As he stared, Xander's mind tried to piece together what had led him here. He had accompanied Han and Chewbacca to a mission on Sullust. It was meant to be just an ordinary smuggling run to get some supplies and try to set up a new travel route for the Alliance.

Xander had let Han handle the main deal while he and Chewbacca stayed with the _Falcon_. Xander had gotten a bit bored, went to a bar…And then…

Images of the night flashed through his mind. The one bottle of the local wine that apparently was the equal of a dozen shots of vodka. Sharing a drink with the woman lying next to him now. Coming back to her place and…

And…

Xander's eyes widened as memories of the wild night came to him. In bits and flashes, he could remember several hours of pure unadulterated passion of a sort he had only dreamt of. Even Anya hadn't been quite as wild as this…whoever the hell she was.

As if on cue, her eyes opened. They blinked before locking onto his. The green orbs seemed to darken as the woman let out an alien curse. Swallowing, Xander quickly spoke in a friendly voice. "Morning."

"I suppose it is," the woman said as she glanced around.

"I'm…Xander. Xander Harris. I'm…not sure if we got around to introductions last night." 

"Mara Jade," the woman answered as she sat up and rose from the bed without any shame. She stretched, a sight that made Xander feel light-headed as he saw the firm body with its full breasts, toned backside and…

Shaking his head, he moved to grab his clothes. "Ah, I'm not sure how much you remember…"

"Enough," Mara replied as she moved to grab her own clothing. She paused and a sly smile came to her face. "Plenty enough."

_Oh my God. I impressed the hot as hell redhead. I'm a galactic stud. _Xander shook his head as he dressed. "So, um…this is sorta awkward."

Mara raised an eyebrow at him as she pulled her shirt over her head. "What? First time?"

"No! No, no, no, hell to the no!" Xander quickly said. "Just…well, first one-night stand tried to kill me afterward and my last girlfriend….well, clingy doesn't quite describe it."

"Third time's the charm, I guess," Mara said. She affixed a short cloak to her shoulders as she faced him. "So…chalk it up to a bit too much to drink and a fun night?"

Xander licked his lips. "Ah…want some breakfast?"

Mara blinked, clearly not expecting that. "Excuse me?"

Xander shrugged. "Call me old-fashioned but I wouldn't feel right just leaving it like this. Come on, a quick breakfast and that's all."

Mara frowned before nodding slowly. "All right, fine. But I'm warning you right now, I'm not cheap."

"Of that, I can tell," Xander said as they exited the room.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"So, live around here?" Xander and Mara were at a small café in the city, which resembled the sort of outdoor cafes you'd expect in L.A. He was sipping at some sort of coffee-like drink with a plate of some sort of egg-like delicacy before him. Mara's meal was smaller as she appeared wary.

"Just passing through," she answered, nudging the small bag at her feet. "Was about to catch the next ship going out."

Xander frowned. "What do you do?"

"Ah…let's just say I'm…a freelance operative," Mara carefully answered as she sipped her drink. "You?"

"Shipping," Xander quickly answered.

Mara looked at him and smirked. "Shipping. Riiiiight. Independent?"

"Very," Xander answered. He looked at her eyes and an unspoken agreement seemed to be made between them not to press any harder. Mara sipped the last of her drink and place it down. "Well, Xander, I hate to sound like a love-em-and-leave-em but I really do have to be going."

"It was great meeting you," Xander said as they stood up. "Really great. I mean, really, really, really…"

Mara laughed lightly. "Please, I'll blush."

"Somehow, I doubt it," Xander said. "You don't seem a gal who blushes a lot."

Mara smiled at him. "Huh. More observant than you seem."

"Thanks. I think."

Mara picked up her bag but froze, gazing over Xander's shoulder. He turned to see a squad of Stormtroopers march through the streets, blasters in hand and helmets sweeping around. Their leader saw Mara and Xander and pointed to them. "You there! Halt!"

"Crap," Xander said as he and Mara started to back away. The woman was reaching into her cloak as the troopers moved in. "I said halt!" the leader said as he raised his blaster. In a blinding motion, Mara pulled out her own pistol and fired a trio of shots. They struck the lead trooper in the chest and head, sending him down.

_And so ends my good morning_, Xander thought as he grabbed Mara and pulled her away. He reached for his own sidearm, letting out some wild shots at the troopers to scatter them. The various citizens around were taking cover, yelling in surprise and fear as the two started to run off.

"What the hell did you do?" Xander gasped as they ran.

"What makes you think it was me?" Mara snapped. "They could be after you!"

"Yes but my track record is that nine times out of ten, I'm the innocent bystander!" Xander snapped back. "Those odds increase when a gorgeous woman is involved!"

"I'll figure out if that's a compliment or an insult later," Mara said. "Come on!" They raced around a corner, heading to a small docking area overlooking the cityscape. Xander could see an Imperial shuttle coming in for a landing nearby. "Hell." He glanced around to get his bearings. "We need to get to the docking bays at the west. My ship is there with help."

"On foot, we're sitting mallards," Mara mused. Her eyes darted around to find something that could help. They finally rested on a nearby swoop bike, it's long frame marked by the extended engine and point. Xander followed his gaze and his eyes widened. "Oh, hell."

Mara threw her bag to him as she sat on the bike. She reached to fiddle with its engine and despite the situation, Xander couldn't help but admire the way she was stretched out. "You want to hotwire this thing?" Mara said without looking at him. "Cause I'll be only too happy to sit back and ogle you while you do it."

Xander quickly got in behind her, pulling the small safety belt around him. Mara fiddled and the bike sparked to life, hovering a few feet over the ground. Xander glanced behind him in time to see the stormtroopers racing around. "They're coming!" he yelled even as he pulled up both his blaster and Mara's and fired at them.

Mara kicked the speeder into drive, sending them rocketing out into the streets. She headed right toward the troopers, who scattered before her, banking the speeder into a wide turn to avoid their fire. Xander was forced to hold tight to both the straps and the guns as they kept going. Mara kept the speeder going at full blast, expertly avoiding any obstacles as they entered the main streets of the city.

"You ok?" Mara yelled out as they raced along.

"So far!" Xander yelled back.

"You wanna hold on to me, feel free."

"Thank you, God," Xander muttered as he leaned in to wrap his arms around her waist tight. Mara kept the bike going as Xander glanced behind just in time to see a trio of speeders coming in behind them. Each carried two troopers, one piloting while the other opened fire with their blasters. "We've got bandits on our tail, Smokey!"

"Huh?" Mara glanced back at him, her red hair billowing around her head. Xander pointed to the pursuing bikes and Mara cursed under her breath. "Hang on!" she yelled as she hit the throttle. Even as she accelerated, Xander turned to fire one of the guns in his hands. It was a few short blasts, enough to scatter them a bit. Mara threw the speeder into a hard turn to an alleyway. Two of the speeders managed to make it but the third smacked into a wall, swerving as the pilot tried to get it under control.

"Duck!" Mara yelled and Xander bowed his head next to her as the speeder swept under a wide archway. They found themselves once more in an open street, the other speeders still following. "Docks should be coming up!" Xander yelled in her ear.

"We've got to get rid of these guys first," Mara snapped. "Hang on tight." Without giving him a chance to get ready, she suddenly cut back on the throttle, decreasing the bike's speed massively. The two lead speeders zipped right past her before even realizing what had happened. Mara grabbed her blaster away from Xander, snap-aimed and let out a series of bursts. Three managed to catch one of the bikes right in the rear. A shower of sparks and flames went out as it spun out of control. The passenger was just able to leap off before the bike slammed into the side of a wall and exploded.

As Mara was taking care of that one, Xander turned to see the damaged bike coming up behind them. He fired his own blaster at its front end, his hours of practice with Han coming to the fore. The bolts struck the lead trooper in the chest, sending him falling back. He knocked off his compatriot, the two smacking into the ground and rolling about with several broken bones as the bike went off course.

Mara quickly jammed on the accelerator and sent the bike back on high speed. The last remaining bike had cut its own speed and was preparing to turn when Mara and Xander zoomed past it. Mara lifted her body over, sending a boot kicking out into the side of the opposing bike, knocking it off-balance. She sat right back down as she and Xander sped off.

Xander just stared at her, heaving for breath. "You are my dream girl," he whispered.

Mara just rolled her eyes. "My day is complete."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Han!" Xander yelled as he ran to the docking bay where the _Millennium Falcon_ stood. "Han, Chewie, we'd better be done here!"

Mara's eyes bugged out as she took in the ship. "What the hell do you ship in this thing? Bantha fodder?"

"She's an acquired taste," Xander snapped as Han Solo came down the ramp, frowning. "Kid, what is…who the hell is this?" His eyes were instantly suspicious of Mara.

"Oh, Han Solo, Mara Jade. Mara Jade, Han Solo. Xander Harris, safe and sanctuary." The young man caught his breath. "I think we have to get going, boss."

Han glared. "What the hell have you done this time, kid?"

"Actually, I think it might be her," Xander pointed to Mara.

The redhead glared at him. "Me? I already told you------"

"Actually, I never heard a real denial," Xander was quick to point out. "But those troopers were looking at you."

"They're Stormtroopers!" Mara yelled. "How can you tell what they're looking at in those things?"

Han rubbed his head. "Hey, if I wanted to hear some brat bitch and moan, to borrow Xander's phrase, I'd go speak to the Princess! Just what is going on?"

The doors to the bay began to echo with a banging sound from the other end. "Open up!" a comlink voice called out. "Open up now in the name of the Empire!"

Han shot Xander an ugly look before going up the ramp. "Chewie, fire up the engines, we're getting out of here!"

Xander turned to Mara, who was looking at the doors with a worried expression. Without thinking twice, he grabbed her arm and pulled her up the ramp. Mara appeared surprised by the action and it wasn't until Xander was raising the ramp that she even reacted. "Hey!"

"No way you can get anywhere else!" Xander said. "Strap in!" He raced to the cockpit as Mara gazed after him.

Han and Chewbacca were already firing up the engines and getting ready to lift off when Xander took his seat behind them. "Tell me she's not on board," Han growled as the engines ignited.

"I couldn't just leave her there!" Xander protested.

Han shook his head. "Kid, you're wrecking our reps, you know that?"

Chewbacca growled as the ship began to rise and Han glared at him. "I really think we were better off as a pair." He let the _Falcon _rise out of the bay and quickly blasted it into orbit and beyond.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Xander entered his cabin, sighing as he threw his jacket aside. The ship was en route to the Rebel base, Han having at least completed their mission before Xander and Mara arrived. Han had given the young man a bit of an argument over Mara's presence but had realized there was nothing to be done about it now. That left Xander to try and regain his bearings after the wild day.

The door opened and Xander looked up to see Mara enter, her cape off, her face even as she shut the door behind her. They just looked at each other for a long moment, Mara biting her lip, seemingly unsure for the first time since they'd met.

"Listen," she began. "I'm…not the kind of person who does this a lot so…Thanks."

Xander blinked. "Um…ok."

"I mean it," Mara said. "I'd be captured or dead now if it hadn't been for you. I'm…well, I'm used to relying on myself a lot. Been a while since I…worked with anyone."

Xander smiled. "I know the feeling."

Mara looked around before speaking. "You guys…work with the Rebellion, don't you?"

"Well, Han takes whatever job's available," Xander said, dodging the question.

Mara smiled. "Hmm….We should play sabaac sometime. A face like that, I'd clean you out flat." She brushed at her hair. "Maybe…it's time I thought about working with people again."

"Any reason?"

"A few," Mara said. "I prefer to keep most of them to myself. But I can tell you one."

"What's that?"

A sly smile came to her face as she unzipped the back of her tunic. She pulled it off and then her pants and soon stood naked before him. She gave him exactly three second to take in her body then was on top of him.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Mara sat in her bed, gazing at Xander's sleeping body. She had to admit, he was a hell of a lot better than she had expected. Frankly, she couldn't remember such a great time with anyone. It almost made her regret her course of action.

Almost.

She sighed, shaking her head. It didn't matter. The Emperor's Hand had no room for any personal feelings. She had her job, to infiltrate the Alliance and be a long-term spy within them. If it led them to this Skywalker person Vader was so hot to find, so be it. She couldn't understand why the Emperor didn't want the man killed right off but it wasn't her place to question her.

She just had to lie low, hide her connection to the Force and be a good little Rebel soldier. It was her job, her duty and nothing else mattered.

Mara stroked his chest and sighed. If only he wasn't so damn cute…

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**So ends my little vignettes. Hope to get started on Empire Strikes Back soon. Keep the great comments coming and glad you enjoy.**


	4. An Enlightening Return

New Blood Vignettes

By Michael Weyer

**An Enlightening Return**

**So back to my little in-between tales with one I felt necessary. I know, this was a key season from "Jedi" but it just seems better as a stand-alone and to shift things up a bit. Plus, plugging in a few story holes the prequels have added in. All comments welcomed of course.**

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It had only been a few weeks but it felt like years since Buffy Summers and Luke Skywalker had left Dagobah. The planet itself was the same from the haze in the air to the sounds of various life abounding to the thick smell in some places. This time, the two were prepared for the rough entry and avoiding the crash landing. That or, more likely, Yoda wasn't lying with how well he kept the planet protected and was ready for their return.

Buffy was careful as she removed her flight suit. Her artificial arm still felt so…odd. At times it felt okay but then there would be the lack of sensation that made her realize it wasn't real. There was also handling the strength as her real hand still worked like a Slayer's should but this artificial one didn't have that added strength. It had taken her a while to get used to how it worked but she was handling it well.

At least she wasn't handling it alone either. She smiled at Luke, feeling a bit of a jump in her heart as she saw him. Their relationship was starting to go well, something she hadn't been able to say about her last few. He treated her as a true equal with respect, no intimidation at her Slayer abilities and no pity over her lost arm. And the sex wasn't too bad either, she had to admit.

She adjusted her dark top as they walked through the mud toward the hut nearby. Smoke came from the top and they could see firelight inside, indicating Yoda was waiting for them. Buffy tapped her fingers in a light knock before sticking her head in. "Hello? Wayward Jedi returning."

Yoda was sitting by the central fire pit, pushing his stick into the pot sitting on top of the flames. He glanced up at Buffy, gave a small grunt, then went back to his cooking. "Good to see you too," Buffy muttered.

Luke gave her a quick look before bowing his head. "Master Yoda. I'm sorry it took us so long to return."

Yoda gave another "hmph" before sitting back. "Had thought longer, your absence would be."

"We've been busy," Buffy said as she sat in a nearby seat. She flexed her artificial hand, encased in a dark glove. Yoda looked at it and seemed to realize what had happened to her. "But we came back to fulfill our promise."

Yoda raised his brow. "Think to training you can return so easily?" He shook his head. "Simply break away you cannot. A Jedi's path is one of commitment, of dedication. Shown that, you have not."

"But we've learned a lot since we've been away," Luke was quick to say.

"Yeah," Buffy said in a darker tone. "A whole lot."

"Buffy…"

"Come on, Luke!" she couldn't help snapping. "You know this was a key reason we came here so quickly. You need to know this even more than I do."

Luke sighed, realizing she was right. He paused as he turned to face Yoda. "Master…" He paused, weighing his words carefully. "Is…is Darth Vader my father?"

Yoda froze momentarily, actually appearing surprised for once. He hid it quickly as he took the pot off and moved it to a nearby table. "Eat we will."

"Master, I have to know."

Yoda placed the pot down, staring at it before slowly nodding. "Your father he is."

Luke let out a long breath, feeling gut-punched once more. Buffy closed her eyes as she felt his pain. They had both hoped that it was all a trick but deep down, they knew the truth coming. Yoda could see their pain as he turned to face them. "Told you, did he?"

Luke nodded and Yoda bowed his head sadly. "Unfortunate that is."

"Unfortunate that I know the truth?" Luke said, his words coming out more bitter than he had intended.

Yoda was not to be intimidated. "Unfortunate that rushed off you did. Unprepared you were and it cost you." His eyes glanced at Buffy's arm. "Both of you."

Buffy crossed her arms self-consciously. "Nice deflection, Master, but it doesn't answer how come you didn't tell us this before."

Yoda turned away. "Not your time for the truth it was. A test you may consider."

"Which we failed," Buffy speculated.

Yoda cocked his head to the side. "If such you believe, such it was."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Great, right back to the cryptic talk. Feels like we never left."

Yoda sniffed. "Your impatience has grown."

"Yeah, getting my hand chopped off tends to foul up my mood," Buffy remarked. "Sorry about that."

"You should be." There was no humor in Yoda's pitched voice. "Your pain has grown and the Dark Side with it." He glanced to Luke. "Lost a hand in battle, your father did. The first step toward the dark path I believe that to be."

Luke was quiet before moving to the door. "I need…to get some air." He headed out, Buffy quickly following.

She found him standing at the edge of the water, staring out at the bog. She didn't have to say anything; she knew just how he felt. He'd spent years believing his father had been a great hero who had died bravely in battle. Instead, it turned out that he was the monster who had been causing misery and death for the last twenty years and had helped destroy the Jedi. It was a lot to take in and despite her own pain of the past, Buffy wasn't sure what to say to Luke.

"I don't know what to do, Buffy," he softly intoned. "I just don't…"

_"You will do what you must."_

The two turned to see a ghostly figure step from the shadows of the swamp. "Obi-Wan!" Luke said as the spirit of the former Ben Kenobi came up to them. Luke stepped forward, his face showing the anger he'd been feeling ever since Cloud City. "Why didn't you tell me?"

_"Your father fell to the Dark Side," _Kenobi answered, not showing any intimidation at Luke's anger. _"He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and became Darth Vader. He was betrayed and killed…by the man he ultimately became. So what I told you was the truth…from a certain point of view."_

Buffy snorted. "Oh, please."

_"Child, as you grow older, you'll find a great many things you believe in depend greatly on your point of view." _Kenobi noted the dubious looks on their faces and sighed. "_I do not blame you for your anger. The truth is, I felt shame and guilt because what happened to your father was partly my fault."_

The two looked at him, their anger fading to confusion. Kenobi settled onto a nearby log, seeming to gather his thoughts before he spoke. _"It was not me who met your father first but my Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jin. He and I had been on a mission that was more complicated than we expected and we had to lead an escape ship away. It needed repairs and my master came to Tattoine to find them. At the repair shop, your father was the property of a shop owner."_

"Property?" Luke blinked in surprise. "My…my father was a slave?"

Kenobi nodded. _"Yes, only eight but that was his life.. Qui-Gon wished to help your father. He sensed the great power of the Force within him and soon arranged for his freedom to come with us. He brought him to the Council for training."_

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a lot for one kid. I thought the Jedi didn't accept them so old."

_"They normally wouldn't. But, Qui-Gon was…"_ Kenobi smiled in remberance. "_A bit more of a maverick than most Jedi of the time. It wasn't the first time he'd tested the Code. But there was more to his thinking than that." _He paused again, his brow furrowing and Buffy was hit by the irony that being dead made him more unsettled than in life.

_"Long ago, there was a prophecy that said that a Chosen One would come, one born of the Force. He would be the most powerful of Jedi and would bring balance to the Force itself. Qui-Gon believed Anakin to be that child. He was determined to make Anakin a Jedi but the Council refused."_

"I assume that didn't go well," Buffy predicted.

Kenobi shrugged. _"As I said, Qui-Gon was more of a rebel than other Jedi. He believed completely in Anakin being the Chosen One although many, including myself, disagreed. I highly suspect Qui-Gon would have broken away and trained Anakin on his own."_

"Why didn't he?" Buffy asked.

Obi-Wan's face fell as he looked down. _"He was killed in a battle. Cut down by, I have since learned, Sidious' first apprentice. I killed the Sith in return but it was too late for Qui-Gon." _Despite thirty years, the pain of the moment was still quite evident. _"He lay in my arms, the man who had been my teacher and the closest thing to a father for two decades, now dying and asking me to teach the boy. I was a young Padawan about to lose my Master; how could I refuse?"_

Luke bit his lip. "So you took him on for your master."

Kenobi nodded. "_Yes. I believed I could teach your father to be a great Jedi, as Yoda had taught me. I was wrong." _He shook his head. _"My pride has had terrible consequences for this galaxy."_

"It wasn't your fault," Luke said quickly. "The Emperor obviously did his best to corrupt my father."

_"He did,"_ Kenobi agreed. "_But he succeeded because we did not see the threat of the Sith right under our noses. They changed, they evolved but we remained stagnant and that is how they defeated us."_

"What about this whole Chosen One thing?" Buffy asked. "If he was chosen to bring balance, how come he fell?"

Kenobi rose up to pace. _"I've asked myself that same question so many times over the years. It's possible that we misread the prophecy. Perhaps the 'balance' referred to was to put the Jedi on an equal number as the Sith. Or perhaps the true meaning has yet to be revealed."_

"Or perhaps it's a load of crap," Buffy snapped. "I've had experience with a bunch of prophecies myself, and about being a Chosen One. They don't always work out the way you think they're supposed to."

Kenobi nodded in agreement. _"That is true. Regardless, your father was undone by his own emotions."_

"Not the whole truth you are telling." The three turned to see Yoda limping forward, his face stern. "If we tell them, tell them all."

Kenobi paused before nodding. _"Very well." _ He looked to the others. "_The party Qui-Gon and I were saving included the young Queen of Naboo, Padme Amidala. She accompanied Qui-Gon at Tattooine, disguised as one of her own handmaidens. She met Anakin and…formed a bond. Years later, when Anakin was grown, he was assigned to protect Padme, now a key Senator. He accompanied her to her home world of Naboo."_

Kenobi's expression darkened. _"What we did not know at the time was that the two fell in love while there. So great in fact that Anakin married her in secret."_

"Why secret?" Luke asked with a frown.

"Forbidden marriage was," Yoda answered. "Commitment and love forbidden by the Code."

Buffy's eyes widened at that. "Excuse me?"

"Strong emotions love brings," Yoda said. "To the Dark Side such things can lead, as did your father."

Luke shook his head. "That seems…unreasonable, Master."

_"There were some who married," _Kenobi said. _"But keeping it secret was a dangerous thing. It turned out that Palpatine used Anakin's fears for Padme's safety against him, which got worse when she became pregnant. Palpatine soon had Anakin convinced only the Dark Side could give him the power to save his wife and Anakin believed it. And thus…he fell."_

Luke's head was reeling from these revelations. His mother…this was the first he had ever heard of his mother at all and now…A queen? A senator? The secret wife of a Jedi? "What happened to her?"

The look on Kenobi's face made Buffy realize this wasn't going to be happy. _"After your father turned and Palpatine declared his new order, I went to track him down. I discovered the truth about him and Padme and stowed aboard the ship as she flew to a volcanic world he had told her he was at. He had just eliminated the aliens Palpatine had used for the Separatist leaders. She pleaded with him to turn away but his anger was too great and he used the Force to strangle her._

_"I went to stop him and we fought. I tried to talk him back to the light but it became clear he believed Palpatine's lies and had embraced the Dark Side fully. I knew the boy I had trained was lost and a monster was in his stead and so did my best to battle him. At the end..." _Shame briefly flowed onto Kenobi's expression. _"I took off his legs and his good arm and left him helpless on the rocks._" Ignoring the shocked expressions of the two young people, he went on. _"I should have finished him but…I couldn't. Not after all we had been through. I left him behind, believing the lava would finish him off. It should have but his anger and his hate gave him the will to survive. When he crawled out of that fiery pit, Palpatine was waiting to take him to a medical center."_

"That's why the armor," Buffy whispered. "It's keeping him alive." She whistled. "Damn, I always figured he just wanted to look cool."

_"Your mother did not survive childbirth,"_ Kenobi told Luke. His eyes looked distant. _"Her last words were to say there was still good in him. But he's more machine now than man, twisted and inhuman. Whatever was left of Anakin Skywalker died when that black mask was attached."_

Buffy nodded in acceptance of that but Luke seemed less sure. "There has to be…some good in him," he said. "After all that…it can't be complete evil."

"Gone is the boy Anakin Skywalker," Yoda intoned. "Your father he may be in blood…but not in spirit."

Luke rubbed his brow. "But there might be a way…"

"Forget it, Luke," Buffy said. "You heard them. Palpatine turned him into a personal lapdog. He's responsible for who knows how many thousands of deaths. You can't turn him away from all that."

She reached to rub his shoulder, making him face her. "I know how you feel," she whispered. "When Angel turned to Angelus…I didn't want to accept it. I wanted to believe there was a way to bring back the man…the man there was. But I was wrong and a lot of people died because of it. Sometimes…you just have to accept there are things you can't change, Luke."

He smiled at her warmly and Yoda and Kenobi exchanged a look as they both caught the undercurrent of emotion between them. "Involved, are you?" Yoda pressed.

Buffy glared at him. "Not that it's any of your business…"

The small creature smacked his stick on the ground. "If training you want, this relationship must end!"

Buffy's eyes widened. "Okay, this is getting a tad too controlling."

"Master," Luke said. "I respect your teachings but…this is between Buffy and I…"

"Have not listened to what Obi-Wan said?" Yoda demanded. "Emotions can lead to the Dark Side!"

_"Anakin did,"_ Kenobi noted. _"But you knew other Jedi who were involved with women, even ones who were married themselves. Did they fall?"_

Yoda glared at him. "The Code was clear."

_"Master, was it not you who said that being so strict to the Code was what led the Jedi to ruin? Had we simply given Anakin that permission and the freedom to be open with his love for Padme, his fall might have been avoided."_

Yoda shook his head. "Know that you do not."

"Master." It was Luke who spoke. "With all respect, the Order is gone and the Code with it. If Buffy and I are the start of a new Jedi Order, how can we being properly by repeating the mistakes of the old?"

Kenobi smiled at that as Buffy threw Yoda a smirk. The Jedi Master refused to back down. "Love and anger, strong emotions they are. Stronger the emotions, easier the path to misuse of the Force." He pointed his stick at Buffy. "Already anger is strong in you. Adding commitment, to disaster could lead."

Buffy leaned in to glare at him. "I'm really getting tired of you looking down at me even though you have to look up. I'm trying to respect your teachings but your attitude is not helping. I want to learn the Force, I want to fight Vader and Angelus and not because of revenge but because it's the right thing to do. Now are you going to judge us by who we are and what we're doing or are you going to keep judging us by what his father did? Because if you are, then you're just sticking by those old ways of yours and that's going to lead us to ruin on its own."

Yoda looked her in the eyes and then the corners of his lips curled up ever-so-slightly. "At last," he grumbled. "Understand, you do."

Buffy blinked, obviously not understanding. "What?" Kenobi and Luke appeared a bit confused as well.

Yoda leaned back on his stick. "Had you not fought, doubted your feelings in him, I would have. Correct you are in mistakes of our past. To try and fix them is the path to the future."

"This…was a test?" Luke asked in understanding.

Yoda nodded. "Known your feelings for each other, long I have. Needed to test them, I did. See now I do that true strength flows from your bond. Strength that will be needed, if survive the Sith you do."

Buffy glanced at Kenobi who just gave a rueful chuckle. The Slayer didn't know if she should be impressed or jarred that even a spirit didn't know what the Jedi Master was planning. He rose to look at them both. "_I assume you are to continue your training?"_

Buffy and Luke both nodded. "We'll do what it takes," Luke said. "I can't promise it'll be as long as we want. The Alliance does need us as does Han."

Yoda bowed his head. "Much have you learned. Focus those teachings, my goal now is."

Buffy bit her lip and looked to Kenobi. "Ah…I'm afraid I lost your lightsaber."

"Then to build a new one, your first task is," Yoda noted. He turned and headed to his hut. "Come. Eat we finally shall. Enough talk has been made."

Kenobi smiled at the two before his spirit seemed to fade to nothingness. Buffy gave Luke a dark look as she sighed. "He and Giles would really get along great. Well, except for the whole romantic hook up thing because that would make Giles break into a tweedy sweat."

Luke clasped an arm onto her shoulder. "Looks we've got more training ahead of us."

Buffy nodded as she walked toward the hut. "I promise to take it easier on you this time."

Luke smiled. "I have been improving since then."

"I'll judge that," Buffy said.

Luke shrugged. "Well, you know I can make you feel better after some bad bruising…"

"To eat already!" Yoda's voice called out from the hut. "Now you must!"

Buffy and Luke shared a look as they headed to the hut. "Now he really reminds me of Giles," the Slayer muttered as they ducked in to begin their second phase of training.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**So as you can tell, it'll be a slightly stronger Luke and Buffy when Jedi rolls around. Yes, I know, part of the confession by Kenobi is missing but do have to save something for later, right? All comments welcomed. **


	5. Dark Side of the Soul

New Blood Vignettes

By Michael Weyer

Dark Side of the Soul

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**Yes, do plan to get to "Jedi" soon but tied up in various things. But did hit upon this, inspired by a classic "Star Wars Tales" story and hope it might get some interest. All comments welcomed.**

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Mustafar hadn't changed at all in the two decades since Darth Vader had come here. The red and black rocks spread around, the air thick with ash and soot with dark clouds hanging overhead. Most importantly, there were still the rivers of fiery lava pouring around in falls, rivers and lakes.

For one of the few times ever, Vader was grateful for the black armor that covered him completely. Its life support kept him protected from the oppressive heat of the planet as well as the soot and ash. But it could not keep back those memories. Pain and agony at seeing his beloved wife dying. The frantic battle with Obi-Wan. The loss of his limbs. The sheer agony of his body claimed by that lava. And lying there on the rocky hill, his body smoking, kept alive only be his will and his hate as his master claimed him.

If it had been Vader's choice, Mustafar would have been one of the first targets for the Death Star, to wipe this blight from his mind once and for all. But it was still a key source of fuel for the Empire and thus had to stay open. All Vader could do was stay far away but his Master's commands were not to be questioned.

A coughing got his attention and he turned his helmet to see Mara Jade holding a hand to her mouth. Her long red hair was already being inundated with ash as she reached to the belt around her waist. She was clad in a black jumpsuit with a short cape, an outfit for comfort while leaving her enough room should battle come. She managed to pull out a small breath mask and affixed it to her face, taking a breath. "I don't care what those scientists say," she said in a muffled voice. "There is a Hell and this is it."

"No, it's not," Angelus said in a nonchalant tone. "I've been to Hell. It's a bit colder in some spots." The vampire appeared less affected by the place as he followed the other two down the ramp of the shuttlecraft at the docking area of the major factory. His black coat flipped behind him to match his black pants and tunic as he glanced around. Not needing to breathe was an advantage in an environment such as this although being so close to massive heat did make him a tad nervous.

Jade glanced around at the facility as they walked on the pad, a quartet of stormtroopers following them. "I don't understand why all three of us had to come here. So they've lost communications with the place. So what? You send in a scouting party or just one of us."

"Where the Emperor commands, we go," Vader intoned as they marched across the bridge leading to the factory ahead. "We are to find the reason for the communication loss and ensure the facility is back up to production immediately."

"So instead of hunting the Rebels or making sure this new Death Star is on schedule, we're on maintance?" Angelus complained. "Damn, old Palpatine is still pissed we let Skywalker get away."

"You should be grateful we were not chastised further, Scourge," Vader snapped. "That we live at all is a sign our Lord needs us."

Angelus shrugged. "I'd still rather be hunting Summers down. And what the hell are they doing building a new Death Star anyway? The Rebels took out the last one, remember?"

"Those weaknesses have been corrected," Vader answered as they reached the main door of the first building of the factory. He noted that the keypad lock had been shattered and reached out with the Force to slide the doors open. The group entered and then stopped in place.

Before them were what remained of a trio of workers in protective clothing, heavy bodysuits and helmets meant to shield them from the heat. However, it didn't help from whatever had ripped them to shreds. Their bodies were cut, blood spraying across the walls, several limbs scattered about and burn marks were visible on their suits.

The stormtroopers were instantly alert, blasters held up as they spread out. Vader took a step forward and then reached out through the Force for any signs of life. He felt…something but not clear, almost as if his senses were being clouded. "Spread out," he ordered. "Darth Scourge, take the left side of the facility. Jade, you take two troopers and go to the right. The rest of you with me."

"Rebels?" Jade asked, her lightsaber in her hand.

"Don't think so," Angelus said as he gazed at the bodies with a light smile. "But I have to say…I admire their work."

"Enough talk," Vader hissed. "Go. Now. And be alert." He strode forward as the others obeyed his commands.

Vader swept through the main rooms of the facility, finding a few more bodies in the same condition. He could feel that strange presence around, someone watching him but he couldn't quite pinpoint it. He headed out and to the exterior of the facility. He gazed down at the rivers and falls of lava about. Again, his mood darkened with unwanted memories as he clenched one fist, trying to control the anger within him.

"My Lord," one trooper intoned. "Should we return to the shuttle?"

"One more sweep, captain," Vader intoned.

"As you…" The man gasped out suddenly and clutched at his throat, his blaster falling to the ground. Vader stared in confusion as the trooper fell to his knees, clutching at his throat before falling limply to the ground.

The other trooper stared in shock at him, then at Vader, wondering why the Dark Lord would kill the man without warning. "What…why did…" The rest of his words were cut off as he was sent sailing backward, over the side of the cliff and into the lava far below.

Vader had his lightsaber out and ignited as he whirled about. He saw a figure standing nearby in a black robe with a hood covering his face. Shadows covered most of it but Vader could see the flashes of red in the mostly black face with what appeared to be horns in his forehead. The being's yellow eyes glared at Vader with a cool expression as he stood in place.

"Who are you?" Vader hissed.

"One who knows the Dark Side much better than you." Vader turned to see a figure appearing to materialize out of the shadows. He was clad in a completely black robe not unlike Palpatine's, his face almost pure white with a tight smile to it. "Welcome, 'Lord Vader'…welcome to your test."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Angelus whistled an old Irish tune from his youth as he stepped over the split halves of a worker's body. While seeming nonchalant, his senses were on high alert. He knew someone was here watching him, trailing him and waiting to strike. He also knew that they knew he could sense them and were just out of reach of being identified. It was a game and Angelus didn't like games. At least not ones he didn't know the rules to and where he was the one going to be played.

He finally stopped in place within a control room, gazing at the bodies strewn about along with the smashed controls. "Okay," he called out. "Come on out already." He paused as silence answered him. "Hey, I'm tired of the hiding and following so just come on out so we can settle this. Look, I admire your work, really. Reminds me of me in my prime so let me see who pulled this off." 

"This part was not my work," a deep and cultured voice rang behind him. Angelus spun as two figures came out of the shadows behind him. One was a short man in robes while the other was an elderly man who still radiated sheer power. His hair and beard were white with a few touches of darkness, his face aged but his eyes shone with intensity. He was dressed in an elegant dark suit with a cape and leather boots, all of which appeared rather expensive. "Such brutality is beneath me."

Angelus looked the man up and down and sniffed. "So…just who are you and why are you wanting to piss me off?"

"This is Count Dooku, the former Darth Tyranaus," the robed figure said. "And this, Angelus…is a test of your faith in the Dark Side."

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Mara gratefully removed the breathing mask as she stepped into the large factory building. It was larger than a few of the others, mostly used for storage of the vats of energy created by the facility before being loaded onto container ships. Catwalks lined the walls while cranes and lifts were set about. There were only a few of the large metallic crates around at the moment with only a pair of bodies alongside them. Nonetheless, Mara knew that someone else was close by.

"Keep your eyes open," she told the two troopers behind her. "Blasters on but watch where you fire." The two nodded and backed up, each moving to another side of the room, their senses fully alert. Mara had her lightsaber in hand as she padded carefully around the room, circling about to look at all sides. She was annoyed to find that once more, her mind wasn't able to fully concentrate on her duty.

She'd yet to address with Palpatine the discovery that she was not the only one of his Hands. It jarred her more than she let on, to discover she was not as unique and special as she had believed. She'd given her heart and soul to serving the Empire and the Emperor's commands because she believed he had chosen her for a special honor. That the honor was shared by others was shaking a lot of her beliefs. That…and Xander.

Despite all her attempts, Mara just couldn't shake the guy from her thoughts. It wasn't just that he'd been so good in bed…although that did help. But there was something else about him. The way he'd laughed, his humor, the way he'd just made her so at ease unlike any other time in her life. There was also the fact that while he seemed an idiot so much of the time, in truth he was willing to fight for what he believed in harder than one could guess. He may have been on the wrong side but he was passionate about it. And that mix of passion, humor and true caring was still affecting Mara these months later.

She pushed those thoughts aside as she continued to study the room around her, knowing that someone was watching. "Anything on your side?" she called out. Her brow furrowed as there was no answer. "Trooper, can you hear me?"

She turned and headed over to the crates, totally alert now. "Troopers, report!" she called out. "What is your progress?"

There was a moment's pause before something sailed out and landed right before Mara's feet. She jumped back to see it was the head of one of the troopers still encased in its helmet. "I am afraid they are not making much progress at the moment."

At the icy cold voice, Mara looked up to see two figures standing on a nearby crate. One was a woman with white features and a black robe. The other was also a woman with white skin and eyes without any irises. Her head was round with a long neck and her thin body was clad in a skintight black and white uniform of alien origin. In her hands were a pair of lightsabers of a black and jagged design with a curve to them.

"Who the hell are you?" Mara spat out as she lit her lightsaber up.

"I am Asajj Ventress," the woman responded. "I am your doom."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Vader glared at the robed man. "What is your purpose here?" he hissed.

The robed figure showed no fear at Vader's anger. "We are the Disciples of the Dark Side," he answered. "The true Dark Side, not the path you follow. We are the holders of the sacred texts and rites created by Darth Bane. The rules that have governed the Sith for a millennia. The rules your Master broke."

"What rules?"

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"Only two," the robed figure told Angelus. "Only two there must be. A master and an apprentice. That is what led us to survive and remain hidden all those centuries." His face scowled underneath the hood. "But now…now, Darth Sidious has chosen to shatter that rule with his Hands and his apprentices and the various Dark Jedi. That must be corrected."

"And Van Helsing here is going to be the one to do it?" Angelus snorted at the bearded man.

"Mind your tongue, creature," Dooku snapped. "You are not even human, you have no right to the glory of the Sith mantle."

Angelus raised his eyebrows. "Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm reasonably sure I read somewhere you were killed years ago."

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"Ventress is dead," Mara said in a strong tone.

"Death is not always permanent for those strong in the Force," the robed woman said. "There are ways to bring back those who deserve such a chance."

"Cloning," Mara stated in a disdainful tone.

"It does not concern you how she returned," the figure said. "What matters is that she is here now. And she is stronger in the Dark Side than you. She is a more proper disciple than you. She deserves to be at the side of Palpatine."

"I'm his Hand."

"Only one of them," Ventress hissed. "And not a true Sith at all. You have a lightness to your heart, Mara Jade. I can sense it. A light that will always prevent you from achieving your true power." Her lips curled into a dark smile. "A light I do not share."

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"There is no light," Vader argued. "I am a Lord of the Sith. I am of the Dark Side."

"You were Anakin Skywalker, a Jedi," the priest said. "Deep down, you are still he."

"Anakin Skywalker is dead."

"Is he?" The priest smiled. "I doubt it. There is the spark of purity deep within you, Lord Vader. And as long as that exists…the Dark Side cannot rule over you." He turned to the figure beside him. "But Darth Maul does not have that weakness."

The other figure drew back his black hood to show his face marked with red tattoos in the ancient Sith patterns. He undid and pulled off the black robe to reveal the pure black suit he wore underneath. With a dramatic flourish, he pulled the lightsaber off his belt, spun it about and ignited each end of it, revealing a double-blade of pure red.

"Maul is dead," Vader intoned. "You are a fraud."

"It is you who are a fraud, Jedi," the man returned in his deep and feral voice.

"You were nothing but an untrained tool," Vader said. "I am the pinnacle of Sith training."

"I killed a Jedi far greater than you were," Maul said. "I slew Obi-Wan's master."

"Yes," Vader said as he ignited his blade. "And Obi-Wan slew you." He lunged forward and their lightsabers clashed.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Angelus showed no fear as he lit his lightsaber up. "So let me get this straight. You want me and grandpa to fight it out for who's the better Sith." He laughed. "I was hoping for a challenge."

He lunged forward toward Dooku who appeared to be unprepared, his lightsaber still on his belt. The man raised a hand and lightning spewed out, striking Angelus in the chest. The vampire yelled out as he was thrown backward and against a wall. He spat out a bit of blood as he rubbed his smoking chest. "Okay….cheating…"

"Merely using all the powers one has to offer," Dooku said as he unbuckled the curved lightsaber and lit it up. He brought it up before him in a salute before spinning it and moving in to attack.

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"So," the robed woman said. "It comes down to who is the proper holder for the Sith. You, a being with purity within her…or Ventress, a force of dark evil. There may be only one…"

Mara threw out her hand, sending a wave of Force energy that sent both figures flying back. Ventress managed to put on a spin in mid-air and landed on her feet, her two lightsabers already ignited in her hands. Mara's own was lit as she moved to a defensive stance. "Enough talk. Bring it, bitch."

With a snarl, Ventress leaped forward and the two women clashed in the center of the room.

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As a young man, Vader had heard Obi-Wan talk a few times of the battle with Maul. The Jedi had been reluctant to give details, still affected by the death of his beloved master but he had shared how hard a fight it was. In his youthful pride and arrogance, Anakin Skywalker was convinced he would have little trouble with Maul on his own. That attitude was being tested.

He was the equal of the Sith in skill and power. However, he was still encumbered by the thick metal suit he wore while Maul was far more free. More troubling was that Maul was the same age as when he died, a young man in the prime of his athleticism. Vader remembered Palpatine mentioning Maul a few times and how, while skilled, he had a major flaw: He was content to be Palpatine's apprentice without any drive to take over as the Master. While that certainly spared Palpatine the worry of looking over his shoulder all the time, it also showed that Maul didn't seem to have the ambition to truly succeed as a Sith. That, Vader knew, was an advantage for him.

He blocked a strike by one of the blades and managed to dodge the follow-through blow. He moved back along the catwalk, blocking a series of attempted strikes as Maul twirled his dual blade like a deadly whirlwind toward him. The young Sith's face was in a dark grin as he attacked and Vader sensed that the combat was actually fueling the man's strength and blood lust.

Vader became aware he was being backed down the catwalk and toward the edge overlooking a river of lava. He was busy keeping back the blows by Maul, hissing as one glanced off his left shoulder. "Pain, Vader?" Maul hissed.

"There is no pain where strength lies," Vader returned as he swung toward Maul's head. The Sith ducked the blow and threw out his hand to level a Force blast at Vader. The armored man felt himself being flung back and over the edge. Rather than fight it, Vader added his own Force power to the blow, allowing him to sail over the crevice, flipping backward as he did. He landed on the rocky cliff on the other side feet-first, his saber held up.

Maul sniffed as he leaped over himself, landing before Vader. "You broke your fall," he said as he swung out. "To break your fall means you expect to fall. To expect to fall is to expect to fail."

Vader hissed at the Sith lesson as he lunged forward. Maul managed to dodge his thrust and swung back to smash his saber against Vader's, sparks flowing as they continued their battle. Their boots mashed on the rocky ground which heated below them as they fought, each ignoring the heat growing around them so they could slash away at one another. Vader was building his strength as the battle wore on but could tell Maul was matching him perfectly as the lava seemed to grow even hotter in the shadow of the clash.

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Angelus hissed out as he ducked a blow by Dooku and tried to swing his saber up the man's chest. With a speed that belied his age, Dooku leaped back while slashing at Angelus, almost cutting his wrist. "Not much of a swordsman, I see," Dooku observed dryly. "Then, you're not really a man either so that should not be a surprise."

Angelus grunted as he blocked another strike. "A bit prejudiced, are we?"

Dooku twirled his lightsaber about as he circled the vampire. "I never truly approved of so many aliens belonging to the Order. The Force is much stronger in humans and was meant for us to use properly." He pulled his sword into a new fighting stance. "That was the reason I went with Lord Sidious' plans."

Angelus smiled, feeling a bit more control at the moment. "Oh, you mean the one with you becoming head of an army of human Jedi? Hate to break this to you, Count, but that was never going to happen. It was a pipe dream Palpatine fed you while he prepped Skywalker to take your place. You were never meant to be the next Sith, just to help prep Anakin to be pushed over the side."

Dooku didn't appear at all concerned at the talk but simply moved on the attack again. "That was a mistake that he will be forced to rectify when I defeat you."

Angelus snorted openly. "Gonna have to back up the talk more, old man."

His smile was cut off when another wave of Force energy threw him back and Dooku moved in. Angelus rolled out of the way of a strike to attack but Dooku easily dodged the blow. "Do not judge me by my age," he said. "Appearances can deceive." He blocked a few strikes and smiled. "But as you appear to be a fool, you'd be an exception."

Angelus snarled as he increased the attacks.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Mara was starting to wish she was facing Summers again. Sure, that Slayer had been a hellion but she'd still been held back by those limitations over the Jedi. Ventress had no such qualms and was striking hard with her two lightsabers. The woman's face was in a tight scowl as she kept attacking, driving Mara back along the metal catwalk they were fighting on. Mara hissed as one saber strike nearly cut her ear off, dodging and throwing her blade out defensively to drive Ventress back.

"So weak," the woman hissed out. "Why would the Emperor choose you for his Hand? You have such purity within you."

Mara sniffed. "Think you're looking in the wrong place, white-skin."

"No," Ventress said as she blocked Mara's strikes. "I can feel it. You had potential for darkness but something tainted you…" She paused and smirked. "Or perhaps it was someone?"

Mara snarled and struck out, throwing her blade against Ventress' double ones. She blocked the attack but that left her open for Mara to swing her boot into the woman's mid-section. She let out a gasp as the redhead moved in and Ventress barely avoided a downward slash. She rolled to her feet and lunged out but Mara leaped over her thrust, somersaulting over Ventress and spinning around. Ventress held up her sabers to block but Mara managed to slice through one, leaving Ventress with only one blade left.

"Impressive," Ventress admitted.

"That's why I'm the Hand," Mara said. "I'm willing to fight dirty." She lunged forward as their battle continued.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The air was filled with the sounds of ozone clashes as Vader and Maul leaped between rocks to continue their duel. They had gone all the way around the ridge alongside the facility and toward a side entranceway. The battle was still even with Maul attacking with all his ferocity but Vader holding strong to battle him back.

"You…fight well…for a Jedi," Maul hissed between strikes.

"And you…for a clone," Vader returned as he suddenly fell backward. Maul was taken by surprise by the sudden move back, falling forward with his lightsaber held sideways. Taking full advantage, Vader swung upward, slicing the saber perfectly along the middle. Maul stared in surprise at the two halves as Vader smiled under his mask and held his own saber up for a killing blow. Maul clenched his fists and hit a secondary button on the saber hilts and suddenly, each end ignited and crisscrossed to block Vader's attempted strike.

Vader leaped over the swing of one blade while blocking the other, then leaped back, sailing over the crevice and to the catwalk near the large factory building. Maul leaped over to follow, twisting to the side to avoid Vader's attempt to hurl a piece of machinery at him with the Force.

The two faced each other, each in a tight fighting stance, waiting for the other to give an opening. They were still waiting when another door to the side opened and Angelus rolled backward and up to his feet. His lightsaber was raised as Dooku calmly walked down the steps toward him.

The vampire sensed the figures behind him and turned. "Oh, hey, Vader," he said in a nonchalant tone. "I see you got a playmate too."

Vader nodded to him, then started as he saw the figure coming down. "Dooku?!"

"Hello, Skywalker," the former Darth Tyranus said. "I see you have fared poorly since we last met."

"You are not Dooku," Vader said as he took in the two hands the man had. "Do not talk to me as if you are."

"There is more beyond the veil of death than you suspect, Skywalker," Dooku intoned.

"You shall learn that yourself," Maul said, his lightsabers held up.

Angelus and Vader looked at each other and there was the tiniest of nods. Without warning, Vader broke aside to rush at Dooku while Angelus leaped toward Maul. Both the former Sith Lords were taken by surprise at the sudden switch, barely able to get their guard up as the new attack began.

"This was not the plan!" Maul hissed as he went at Angelus.

"We don't like rules all that much," the vampire sniffed as he attacked.

"No matter," Maul hissed as he blocked a strike and attacked with his spare saber. "You will still fall."

"Haven't yet," Angelus smiled. "And won't be to you horn-head."

Nearby, Dooku and Vader were dueling. This was going better in Vader's mind as he remembered Dooku's style and how to combat it. True, he was alone here instead of with Obi-Wan and hampered by the armor. But he beat Dooku as a young Jedi so he could certainly do it as a full Sith Lord.

The bearded man sniffed as he managed to block a strike. "You are stronger in the dark side, Skywalker…although not as strong as you should be."

"I was strong enough to defeat you, Dooku," Vader hissed. "I know how to use the Dark Side now."

Dooku sniffed as he blocked Vader's latest strike. "You sound so sure, Skywalker. I was sure I knew my Master's plan and what he had in store for me. It took his ordering you to execute me to realize how he was using me. He will use you as well, Skywalker. Use you and discard you."

"The difference between us," Vader said as he dueled. "Is that I recognize that, Dooku…and I will not allow that to happen." He thrust out and threw Dooku back, the bearded man gasping as he was sent against a wall. "And I also know where my strength lies." He lunged in as Dooku found himself on the defensive and experiencing a very bad feeling of déjà vu.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The battle had taken Mara and Ventress to the upper catwalk of the warehouse as they kept battling it out, neither wanting to give an inch. Sweat stained Mara's brow while Ventress appeared to not even be perspiring. Mara leaped back as Ventress slashed at her mid-section, the lightsaber hitting one of the catwalk's risers. Mara backed up as the catwalk section shook under them.

Ventress had a wicked grin on her face as she slashed downward and added a wave of Force energy to the blow. The catwalk buckled under Mara's feet, then gave way completely. Mara felt the grating fall and leaped out and away, her arms outstretched. At her command, some chains hanging from overhead for lifting flew into her hands. Gripping them, she swung back, quickly managing to get a good grip on the links.

She turned to see Ventress leap out and follow her move, her lightsaber swinging. Mara already had her blade out and for several moments they hung overhead, swinging on the chains as their lightsabers struck against each other. Ventress kicked out at Mara's mid-section, Mara striking back with her blade but unable to properly hit the female Sith.

"Still so weak," Ventress sneered. "Your heart still calls for that Rebel, Jade. It does not belong to the Dark Side. It will be best when I remove it from your chest."

She swung her blade out in a wide arc and the saber cut through the chains above. Mara yelled out as she felt herself falling, twisting her body around to try and avoid a fatal fall, doing her best to slow it with the Force. Ventress flipped about, landing on one crate, then leaping forward to land on the ground, her lightsaber up and ready. Mara had landed on her chest, groaning in pain, her lightsaber on the floor. With a simple gesture, Ventress pulled it into her hand and holding it up.

The white-skinned woman stood over the fallen redhead with a smile of triumph on her lips. "A shame, Mara Jade. You had potential but the fire of the Sith does not burn hot enough within you. Too much of your heart belongs to another to let the Dark Side grow."

She frowned as she watched Mara's head bowed down and her breathing shallow. "What is the matter, Jade? Nothing to say before your death?"

"Can't," she bit out. "I'm…concentrating."

Ventress frowned as too late she felt the sudden surge in the Force. She turned just in time to see the fallen chains rising off the floor and pierce through her body. She screamed as she was lifted upward, the chains still in her body and wrapping around her legs and wrists and upper chest. She struggled but Mara was kneeling up, her hands held up and a dark smile on her face.

"All your talk on the Dark Side and my heart not belonging to it," Mara said. "And you're the one who ends up hanging." She smirked slowly. "Well…as someone I knew might have put it…think it's time I make like a banana." She brought her hands together and then yanked them apart.

Ventress howled out as the chains tugged in opposite directions with a savage strength. A dark tearing sound went out as Ventress was ripped in half, blood spraying out as her upper and lower torsos hung from the chains.

Mara let them drop as she got to her feet, calling her lightsaber to her hand and looked up. To her lack of surprise, that female priest had vanished so she began to walk out of the bloody warehouse.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Vader admitted to being slightly annoyed that he hadn't killed Dooku yet. There was a reason why the man had been so revered as a Jedi and a powerful Sith as his mastery of the lightsaber and the Force was enough to make him a match for Vader. The armored man attacked with a spinning maneuver but Dooku managed to dodge it and rolled about, his lightsaber striking right at the small of Vader's shoulder where a small chink in his armor was. Vader gasped in a burst of pain and Dooku took advantage of it to slice him across the chest, the lightsaber striking at the control panel at Vader's mid-section. The Dark Lord stumbled, clutching at it and barely able to stop Dooku's follow-through which knocked him back. Dooku struck once more to slice Vader across the chest and the armored Sith yelled again as he fell to his knees.

Dooku moved behind, his face impassive as he twirled the lightsaber around. "And so it ends for you, Skywalker. The great Hero Without Fear fallen to his rightful master as it should have been." He held his saber high. "A shame no one will know your final fate but that is the way of the Dark Side."

He lunged forward, ready to bring the lightsaber down upon that black helmet…and then stopped, pain filling his entire body. He stared down at himself, seeing a red blade sticking through his body. His eyes moved over and he realized that Vader had run his lightsaber backward through the side of his own mid-section to impale Dooku.

The black gloves twisted and Dooku let go of his own lightsaber in agony. His body stumbled and the saber cut up through his body and into his heart. "How?" he whispered. "How can…what can you hate…enough…to survive?"

Vader's mask turned toward him and Dooku knew the answer before that electronic voice whispered.

"Myself."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Maul's twin blades stuck against Angelus' single one as they battled by the edge of the crevice leading to the lava bed below. It was a meeting of two men who were more animal than human, two forces of primal hate smashing into each other with wild abandon. The Force was forgotten as each fought bitterly with their lightsabers to seek an advantage of any kind, Maul's power against Angelus' speed.

Angelus was confident, arrogant even but, despite all his boasting, his swordsmanship was not the best. Maul saw an opening and plunged his saber full on into the vampire's chest. The tattooed man threw out a twisted smile as he expected his opponent to fall to the floor in agony.

Instead, Angelus snarled and his features contorted to his vampire mode. "Okay…now I'm mad." He grabbed the hand still holding the lightsaber and yanked Maul in, his head smashing into the other's brow. Maul was stunned by the unexpected blow, not to mention that Angelus wasn't dead. That was the moment Angelus needed to grab the other lightsaber from Maul's hand and thrust it upward. The Sith howled out as Angelus backed up to stab his own saber through the alien's chest.

Maul gasped out as he stared at the twisted face before him which was pulled into a hideous smile. "Sorry, pal," he said. "I admire the ink and the attitude…but when it comes to the Dark Side…I've got you beat." He kicked out and sent Maul's body hurtling over the edge and to the lava far below.

He turned, his face returning to normal as he saw Vader stumbling up, a hand to his broken control panel. A door opened to the side and they both turned to see Mara limping toward them. "You guys had playmates too?"

Angelus nodded. "Yeah." He looked around. "Where's that robed asshole so I can show him what I think of his test?"

"Gone," Vader hissed as he felt through the Force. "Come…back to the shuttle. The Emperor would know of this immediately." He began to march off as Angelus looked to Mara. "So how'd you beat yours?" he asked her.

"Showed her my chain skills," Mara replied. "You?"

"My inner demon," he said.

"And Vader?"

Angelus just shrugged. "You'll have to ask him. Me, I'd say that he may have decided to exercise his own demons a bit."

Mara frowned but decided she didn't want to know as they headed back to the shuttle.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

The throne room was silent as night had fallen on the capital. Palpatine was faced away from the massive windows behind him, gazing at the three robed figures before him. "So….my current Sith survived despite your expectations."

The leader of the three priests bowed his head. "We must admit to being surprised, Lord Sidious. We had believed none of them had the right strength in the Sith order to be victorious."

Palpatine tapped his fingers together. "There was a reason Ventress, Maul and Dooku were discarded by me. I told you that when you approached me for this scheme of yours. All that was accomplished was a great deal of cloning material wasted along with a great strength in the Dark Side."

"But the results cannot be argued with," the female priest said. "You know that your current apprentices are strong in the Sith way."

"Although not as strong as they should be," the third priest inserted. "There is purity still in Vader and Jade while Angelus may be too strong in his hate and lust for death to properly navigate the Sith ways."

"That is my concern," Palpatine said.

The lead priest brought himself up. "We are the keeps of the Bloodline of Bane, Sidious. We are the ones who keep the record of the Sith Order. We are the ones who----"

"I am the Lord of the Sith," Palpatine interrupted in a dark tone. "I will decide who is able to share in that glory. They have served well and survived this test and so will continue to serve me still."

The three priests shook their heads. "We must protest," the lead one said. "If you do this, you are severing the Bloodline of Bane and the rules of the Order of the Sith…"

"I am the one who committed our revenge on the Jedi," Palpatine hissed. "I am the one who returned us to power. There is no longer need for the Rule of Two. Only the Rule of One, the Sith itself. And I am the Sith. And you…are no longer needed."

He threw out his hand and a blast of lightning arced out to strike the trio of priests. They all howled in agony as he kept it up, shaking their bodies with agony as smoke poured out of them. Palpatine kept sitting as he increased the power until the three fell and kept going until their robes burst into flames.

He sat back and turned his throne around to face the cityscape. His apprentices had passed this test, true. But he could not shake the feeling that there was still danger in them somehow. It was to be expected of course.

Treachery was the way of the Sith.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**Hmm…this ended up longer than I expected. Hope you all like it though and all comments are welcomed. **


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